Spacer Clans Adventure 3: Naero's Fury

by Mason Elliott

  Jia gave me so many gifts. The Shadow Fox is in fact, a Drian ship. It is a living ship–with or without Jia’s soul essence imbued within it. the most advanced starship I have ever seen. I have learned many of its secrets, but not all. I have learned to use Drian tek to aid my various efforts.

  Jia came with me, because we could not be parted. For reasons she keeps to herself, she insisted on leaving her miraculous, immortal body behind.

  Baeven paused and shook his head and gasped, obviously in fond memory.

  I cannot speak to you in the words of any known language and tell you how beautiful my Jia is to me. It is something that a person could only witness and experience for themselves. But know this: Jia was the pinnacle of the Drian powers of creation. The Drians specifically created her to be as much like they were as possible, in order to guide, protect, and lead her people. If the Driathans have a goddess…it can only be Jia.

  Naero, I hope that you will be so fortunate, one day, to behold my beloved completely, in all her splendor and majesty–as she truly is.

  The Driathan legends say that they were meant to be the gift of the Drians to all the galaxy–to the entire universe after the horrors and devastation of the Great War. That was why the Drians protected their creations so much–some say even at the cost of the Drians’ own existence. And in the Cosmic Prophecies of all the sentients, the Driathans are specifically mentioned multiple times–as having their own important roles to play in the fate of the universe.

  To escape from Zoa, Jia had to seal away the Cosmic gateway to Ur-Jahal. She had our ship locate other naturally occurring wormholes that would return us on a one-way trip to the Alpha Quadrant. We have returned to Zoa on two other occasions since that time, but I still have no idea where it is located, either.

  When I returned, I could control my monster within–at least partially, after the fashion that you have seen. And that has served me well, indeed. But I also learned that I had been made an outcast. I was no longer a Spacer. I had no name. No honor whatsoever any longer. I was seen as a rabid animal, who only needed to be put down.

  *

  Baeven leaned back and knitted his hands behind his head.

  “There, now you know what happened to me, the alien artifact I interacted with, Naero. How I became an outcast, and how I met Jia and gained my ship. Now, I need to hear your story. All of it.”

  “But wait,” Naero said. “I want to hear more about Jia, and you, and your Drian ship, and the Drian tek you use. And what about your crew? Where did they all come from?”

  Baeven now crossed his arms in front of himself. Apparently a characteristic Maeris thing to do. “Naero, I’ve told you quite enough for the time being. Now, I insist that you tell me what I want to know, or you and I are going to have a very interesting sparring match.”

  Naero laughed. “Hey, you’re still recovering.”

  He glared at her as only he could. “Try me. I’m feeling much better every instant. Now talk.”

  Naero laughed. “All right, all right, but first I need a–”

  Baeven sat up, and telekinetically yanked a frosty cold four pak of Jett out of a hidden lix cooler. Naero barely caught it, and went back a bit to keep it from smacking her in the head.

  She cracked the first borbble open before telling him about her own ordeal.

  36

  As if they didn’t have enough major problems, Jia informed them that even at Jump-7, a journey to Zoa and back would take almost two standard weeks.

  No one knew what kind of time they had to work with, and there were no known wormholes out their way that could get them any closer.

  The enemy certainly held a major strategic and tactical advantage over them with that ancient wormhole tek of theirs. The G’lothc cruiser and the Dakkur hordeships could travel back and forth at will over great distances.

  Naero had another healing session planned with Womi later that day. If things went well enough, perhaps he would tell them where in the Gamma Quadrant they could find the new enemy homeworlds that had been established there.

  While both ships remained docked together, Baeven worked with Naero, Om, Ty, Alala, and Jia to to teknomance and pweak the drives on The Darkstar to make them even faster and more efficient.

  Yet sadly, Baeven’s miraculous Drian ship was still far more advanced. He tried to explain some of the differences.

  “We’d need advanced materials that we just don’t have access to, in order to top out Alala’s specs to come to anything close to The Shadow Fox.”

  Naero sighed. “We’ve learned so much already from you and Jia and your ship. I keep working with Alala and Om and our fixers, trying to fabricate the advanced materials we require. We have the specs you gave us, but I never thought just synthesizing materials could be so complex–and exhausting. And there are tons of basic things just like that in the KDM that are simply way over our capabilities right now.”

  Baeven laughed. “Don’t beat yourself up too much, Naero. If it’s still beyond Jia and Om, it’s going to take a little while for us and them to catch up. But we have to continue to advance, working on overcoming our weaknesses, building upon our strengths.”

  Naero nodded. “Our people have always known that. While our enemies still seem to have knowledge far beyond our own. That puts us at a serious disadvantage.”

  “We’re lucky they can’t seem to duplicate those ships they have, or all of their weapon systems.”

  “Baeven, we can’t afford to give them time to do so. Ty, what about that new leap drive, the one we cobbled together from those KDM concepts that Om gave us? Any luck on getting that working?”

  “We’ve assembled a prototype projector generator, but it would still take a massive amount of raw Cosmic energy just to test it.”

  Cosmic energy.

  She turned to Baeven. “You and I can generate Cosmic energy. Perhaps we could power it. If we could get that prototype working, jump drive tek would become obsolete. Our foes would no longer have the advantage over us. We could leap across half the galaxy or more in an instant.”

  They walked back over to Ty and his tek crew, who brought out the experimental device on grav lifts and with Jia’s kind assistance, popping the device up from the floor. It was even more compact than a jump drive.

  “I wouldn’t advise a full test right now,” Tyber warned. “There are still too many variables. We don’t know what any of the effects could be for certain. It might torch any ship trying to use that thing–including this one. We might reach our destination alright…as a burned out cinder.”

  “There’s currently a fifty-seven percent chance that the device would function properly,” Jia said.

  “I say fifty-six,” Om projected.”

  “Buma-luma,” Naero said. “Or potato-patata, take your pick.”

  What in the heck is a patata?

  Naero ignored Om before giving her opinion.

  “So–in principle–we’re basically talking Space-Time travel here, right? If this Kexxian leap tek works, we could get places faster than anyone. Maybe even faster than our enemies. That would be a huge advantage. I don’t think we can ignore the chance at such a possibility.”

  “But we can’t help anyone if we’re all dead, either.” Baeven said. “I’m up for taking risks as much as anyone, but let’s pweak our chances of success a little more than fifty-fifty, before we do an actual test run.”

  “Om, Jia, Alala,” Naero said, “keep working with Ty and the uber-geek squad here “Let us know what our chances would be by the end of this standard day. If they’re high enough, we’ll give it a shot. Keep working with Baeven too, if he feels up to it.”

  “Will do,” Alala noted. “These Kexxian schematics are amazing. Even this Drian ship is not as complex as this one Kexxian device, and that’s saying something. Om and I are probably the only ones who can even understand the concepts of just parts of it. Some for them are even beyond us.”

  For now at least. I continue to study them and mak
e progress.

  Baeven clapped a hand on Naero’s shoulder.

  “In the mean time, you and I have some work of our own to do. If we’re going to be fighting G’lothc possessed foes, Mystic Enforcers, Dakkur, and who the hell knows what else. Haisha. We both better be in top form. You’ve had further training with the Mystics, Naero.”

  And she might not get any more.

  “That’s good progress. And you now possess many abilities that I do not. But I trained with Master Vane and the other two High Masters completely, for many years. There’s still much for you to learn about raw fighting, increasing your speed and strength, working in the Astral Plane and other dimensions, and honing all of your Mystic skills. As well as the ones that are unique to you since your encounter with the artifact.”

  Naero nodded and looked up at him.

  Baeven was telling her, once again, that they were going back to training hard together.

  And, that he was going to do his level best to beat the hell out of her while doing so.

  But Naero knew for a fact that she could take it, and give back plenty of her own. Baeven would learn things from her, too. It was always that way with talented opponents.

  “I’m up for all of that. And let’s be honest about something else,” she said. “We both have similar problems controlling our Cosmic abilities. We both have our own Dark Beast within us that yearns only to break free, rampage, and destroy.”

  Baeven looked at her and nodded. “You know now that it is Jia in part, who helps me control myself and the monster within. Without her–without her love and compassion for me–I would have ended up a mindless monster, or worse, long ago. Just as the High Master’s feared, they would have been forced to take me out.”

  “Thank goodness for Jia, then.”

  He looked into Naero’s eyes. “You have held her soul within you. You sense what she is–her great dignity and honor. Her goodness. She is my angel, my savior. I cannot put into words what Jia is to me, and the depths of my feelings for her, Naero. Sometimes I would give up the entire struggle and everything–all that I am–if only to have her in my arms for one entire day. Nay…for one mere hour of bliss and peace, alone with her.”

  “I have never seen a Driathan,” Naero said. “Are they really as beautiful as the legends say, Baeven? Or did you just tell me that because of your love for Jia?”

  Baeven sighed. “One day, Naero. You will tell me if I have spoken the truth or not. Each of the Driathans was a miracle, fashioned lovingly by the hands of the Drians in their enduring image and imagination. Perfection, immortal, indestructible, self-regenerating. And Jia was created to be their paragon–the closest thing to being an actual Drian, without them actually re-creating themselves entirely in her mirific, android form.

  “In the absence of their beloved masters, when they awake, and come into their power, she will be more than a mere queen to all her kind–she will be the nearest thing they have to a goddess.”

  “Is she that beautiful then?”

  Even Baeven took in a deep breath.

  “I have been many places in this universe, Naero, and I have seen many wonders. Yet nothing has come close to her. When we first found each other I was broken, dying, diseased and accursed. At that point I yearned to die. Jia healed me, slowly and tenderly in her embrace and brought me back from the brink of my own dark abyss.

  “She looked upon and within me and I her for months at time, speaking only to each other with our eyes as I slowly regenerated, and bathed and healed within the grace of her all-encompassing light. For all that time, I was unable to speak. Not a word. But we forged our great bond, and the powerful link between us was formed on levels that even we cannot describe. Without her I would be a terrible wretch–beyond nothing. A witless, destroying beast that would need to be killed.”

  “Where are the Driathans? What are they doing?”

  “That is difficult to explain, Naero. Even I do not fully understand it all, and I am closer to Jia that anyone. Perhaps she could attempt to explain it to you. They adored their creators so very much, their beloved masters the Drians. It pained them greatly that the Drians suffered so much and even felt corrupted from the Great War with the G’lothc and their formidable allies.

  “When the Drians bade their beloved children all farewell and vanished, it came as a huge shock to the Driathans. Just imagine what that would be like. If you had amazing gods living and working and teaching among you–an enormously enriching and endlessly rewarding part of your entire life–and then one day, all of them were suddenly gone. Millions of Driathans mourned, and the grief that came out of what they call The Great Sundering left them stricken with loss and despair.

  “To assuage this pain, the Driathans hid themselves away on their miraculous living homeworld of Ur-Jahal. A marvel in itself, constructed lovingly for them by their creators. The Driathans hid their entire planet and put themselves into a deep slumber in order to contemplate and heal from their immense loss. The Cosmic legends say that they shall only awaken, when the fate of all the Universe–of all Existence is to be decided. If they should fall prey to Darkforce before that time, then all of that shall be lost.”

  “So what are these sentinels Jia speaks of?” Naero said.

  “Jia is their leader, the leader of all her kind. To protect Ur-Jahal and all of their slumbering people, the sentinels keep watch from numerous hidden locations for any sign of the Darkforce growing or being used. The guardians only take measures and actions, if need be, to keep Ur-Jahal safe and secret. Its location is one of the true mysteries of our galaxy. Each sentinel is in touch with Ur-Jahal, for their living homeworld has a will all its own. Yet no one sentry bears the knowledge of the complete location, and only has a clue. Only Jia can go there at will, for she is one with it. But she goes there by instinct. Even she could not point to a map and tell you its coordinates.”

  But our fear is that if the enemy captures one Driathan sentry, they can break that one and use its knowledge to deceive, track down, and break all the others. Then they can put the pieces of the puzzle together.”

  Naero gasped slightly and covered her mouth. “That’s exactly what the enemy has always wanted. If the lost G’lothc spirits found the Driathans all sleeping, they could conquer them, possess them all with their vile spirits, and take over their immortal android bodies with ease.”

  Baeven nodded. “They’ll seize power and dominion over these galaxies. And the Kexx and the Drians are no longer here to stop them. The great enemy would indeed become unstoppable–virtually the new gods–by fiat.”

  “Where is she, then?” Naero asked. “Where is Jia’s body? Why can’t the two of you be together?”

  For the first time since she had known him, Baeven’s composure nearly broke. He almost sobbed. Then as she looked on, he steeled himself the very next instant.

  “That is a long tale for another time. Some griefs, and sacrifices are too difficult to speak of Naero, even for a brutal outcast such as I.”

  Naero laughed. “Well, you can keep playing the slimy villain to the rest of the universe all you want, and I know that role serves you and the rest of the galaxy well. But if someone as great and good and beautiful as Jia can love you, uncle–as she so clearly does–with all of her heart and soul. Then you could not be so totally evil.”

  He shook his head and his countenance clouded. “We all still have many choices to make, Naero. Both you and I. Who can see what the end of all things shall be? We both need to be fearful of that.”

  37

  Naero, Zhen, Jia, and even Baeven, prepared for another attempt at healing Womi further. Nearly everyone would be in on it this time.

  She had finally taken the time to explain the situation with the currently tiny Kahn-Dar to them all.

  They almost didn’t believe her about her little dragon bracelet, until Zhen backed her up.

  What could she say? She took in strays.

  Their problem, at this time, was that Womi had regai
ned some degree of feeling in his extremities. But that was it. He was still crippled, and had lost much of his free range of motion.

  They performed the regeneration techniques the same way as before.

  Yet this time, there was almost no further progress.

  “Maybe that’s the problem,” Naero said. “We need to do something different–something we haven’t thought of or tried yet.”

  The introductions had all been made. Womi jumped right in. “Humor me, Naero. I’ve been thinking this over for days. Try healing me…this time, on the Astral Plane.”

  Naero shook her head. “Not a good idea. Every time I go there, the Mystics have some way of tracking me down.”

  Womi shook his head. “It’s not the location. They’ve clearly already placed an Astral marker on you somehow. I can’t see it here on the Prime Material Plane, but I can smell it. Perhaps they even did this long ago. They can eventually get a lock on you and find your body, anywhere you go, as long as you have that Astral marker on you.”

  “Then how in the hell do I get rid of it?”

  “I can find it on you in the Astral Plane and get rid of it.”

  “How do you do that?”

  “Easy. I go inside you and eat it. Once I consume the marker and its sealing energy, the marker will dissolve, and it won’t work anymore. Of course they’ll know their marker is gone, but they won’t be able to track you anymore, or do anything about it.”

  “Will it hurt?”

  “Sure…like crazy. But only while you’re in the Astral Plane.”

  “How can I prevent someone from doing this to me again?”

  Womi smirked. “I’ll show you. You don’t seem to know much about this stuff for being a Mystic.”

  “I’m a weakling among my kind, remember?”

  “Hah! Yeah, right…you…a weakling. That one get’s funnier every time you float it out.”